Desmet acquisition to support Alfa Laval’s transformation

Alfa Laval has completed the acquisition of Desmet, part of the Desmet Ballestra Group, a  world leader in engineering and supplying processing plants and technologies for edible oils and biofuel sectors. The Desmet Ballestra Group is currently owned by Financière DSBG, and ultimately controlled by Kartesia and Farallon.

Headquartered in Brussels, Belgium, Desmet employs around 1,000 people in Europe, India, Southeast Asia, North America and Latin America. Founded in 1946, Desmet is a specialist in the supply of plants and equipment  for the oilseeds & grains industry and the oils & derivatives industry with sales & execution locations across the world. Its innovative, tailor-made plants for grain handling, oilseed  preparation & pressing, oilseed extraction, feed milling, oil refining & modification, biofuels  and oleochemicals are well known for reliability, low operating costs, and high-quality  outputs. 

The Desmet acquisition will strengthen Alfa Laval’s position in the market by adding know-how and  expertise to accelerate future innovations within food, feed and biofuels—and support Alfa  Laval’s transformation towards renewable fuels. The business acquired includes the  operational units and brands of Rosedowns and Stolz, which had a turnover of approximately EUR300 million (USD304.9 million) in 2021. They will operate as a stand-alone entity within the Food & Water  Division of Alfa Laval. 

“The acquisition will be an excellent fit for our offering of specialized processing equipment designed to increase both yield and quality of customers’ end products,” said  Tom Erixon, president and CEO of Alfa Laval, when the acquisition was announced in March 2022.  “It will add know-how and expertise to accelerate future innovations within food, feed and biofuels – and strengthen our ability to support the transformation towards renewable fuels.”

Details of the transaction were not announced, other than the acquisition will be fully financed via cash. 

Alfa Laval, which is headquartered in Lund, Sweden, is a world leader in heat transfer, centrifugal separation and fluid handling. The company is listed on Nasdaq Stockholm. Alfa Laval has 17,900 employees. Annual sales in 2021 were SEK40.9 billion (USD4 billion). 

The company  is active in the areas of Energy, Marine, and Food & Water, offering its expertise, products,  and service to a wide range of industries in some 100 countries. Alfa Laval’s innovative technologies are dedicated to purifying, refining, and reusing  materials, promoting more responsible use of natural resources. They contribute to  improved energy efficiency and heat recovery, better water treatment, and reduced  emissions.